1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for retaining fallen leaves and similar plant debris. More particularly, the apparatus includes a net which covers fallen leaves, stakes for optionally securing the apparatus in a selected location on the ground, and weights.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Collection, control, and disposal of plant debris, such as lawn clippings and fallen autumn leaves, has attracted much attention in the prior art. In many cases, the volume of such debris creates a problem in that allowing the debris to accumulate and cover the ground may be intolerable. Debris in sufficient volume can, over time, clump together and prevent new growth of a lawn or other plants. Even when temporarily stored on the ground prior to disposal by removal from the area, it becomes necessary to control the debris, and prevent it from dispersion by wind.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,949, issued to Thomas J. Staub, Sr. on Jan. 4, 1983, describes a net for collecting and retaining leaves in place. The net is arranged to occupy a horizontal plane and to extend in a vertical plane. Stakes support the vertical section. The invention operates by providing a floor on which leaves are placed, and a vertical wall which catches leaves driven by the wind from the pile which accumulates on the floor section as the leaves are gathered. The net is disengaged from the stakes and made to surround the leaves to form a bag.
By contrast, the net of the present invention covers leaves rather than providing a floor. Rigid or heavy members of the present invention occupy the entire periphery of the net, so as to hold the net down. This prevents the wind from scattering the leaves immediately upon placement of the net over the leaves.
The present invention is effective regardless of the direction of the wind. In the Staub, Sr. invention, it is necessary to anticipate the direction of the wind in order to locate the vertical section of net effectively. If the wind is swirling, or changes direction, the vertical section may prove ineffective. The present invention may also be employed for long term use, as would be effective in composting. This would not be feasible with the Staub, Sr. invention.
One approach to leaf management is to collect and bag the debris. This approach is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,188, issued to Alan Godfried et al. on Nov. 15, 1994. This invention provides a bag having features particularly suited to bagging lawn debris. By contrast, the present invention has a different focus and appropriately different structure. The present invention immediately provides a cover preventing dispersion by the wind. The structure of the present invention includes a net which does not form a closed structure, such as a bag, but rather a cover. The cover is secured in place by weight, and optionally still more securely by stakes. There is no necessity for immediate bagging, as is the case in bagging inventions.
A composting container is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,412, issued to Manfred W. A. Petzinger on Aug. 8, 1978. This container is typical of composting apparatus, having a large, rigid container. This invention is intended for composting collected plant debris, and not in controlling recently raked or collected debris. By contrast, the present invention provides immediate control of collected debris, and further also has capabilities of enabling composting. And unlike the large, rigid construction of composting containers, the present invention folds compactly for storage.
A leaf net is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 349,593, issued to Connie M. Hensley on Aug. 9, 1994. While surrounded by a peripheral structure which would prevent wind from unfurling the net, the structure depicted in this patent appears to be permanently planar, and thus unable to adjust for leaf piles of different volumes and dimensions. By contrast, the peripheral structure of the present invention accommodates different volumes and dimensions. Furthermore, the present invention collapses for easier storage and easier manipulation during erection.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.